For my early morning risers, you are rewarded! Florence + the Machine are throwing a free concert in Central Park. Concert hopefuls are encouraged to arrive early (around 6AM) at the 72nd street entrance to Central Park. Summerstage is back folks!

Get ready for a great Disney throwback in classic New York City summer fashion. New York City Parks and the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) are partnering up for a free public screening of Walt Disney’s 101 Dalmations. While you’re at it, check out MOCA’s retrospective on Tyrus Wong, the concept artist behind Bambi (1941), which is on view at the MOCA through September 13, 2015.

Take a day to walk through a timeline of the avant-garde. Justin K. Thannhauser built an impressive array of impressionist paintings, many of which are on display at the Guggenheim. From Cezanne to Manet to Picasso, the Guggenheim is host to a great exhibit, one definitely worth checking out.

“From Broadway to Brooklyn,” last semester’s Music TRaC explored the music of the city in order to comment on their own experiences. The culmination of that journey was a zine that relives Motown the Musical and analyzes this elusive thing we call “star power.” Both a recitation of Music TRaC’s experiences and a teach-by-example guidebook for writing a review, Music TRaC’s zine is a must read.

Each week, one of our teen programs interns presents their top 3 picks of arts and cultural events just for you. This week’s picks are from Thomas Choi.

Painting New York City
March 10th – September 20th
Museum of Art and Design
2 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019
FREE

Check out Richard Estes: Painting New York City at the Museum of Art and Design! See the city through someone else’s eyes. Richard Estes captures New York City through photographs, silkscreens, and woodcuts. And, hey, while you’re at it, check out E.B. White’s quintessential New York book, Here Is New York; it’s a quick read that you’ll most certainly enjoy!

Go see Peter Barnes’ black comedy, Red Noses! A modern day reproduction of the Red Noses, Nicu’s Spoon Theater Company moves the setting from 14th century France to 21st century New York City. Think DiCaprio in Romeo and Juliet.

MoMA’s PS1 venue hosts Art Amnesty all through March. Art Amnesty allows artists to either deposit their art in the trash or exhibit it at PS1 before discarding it. “I NEVER WANT TO SEE THIS WORK OF ART AGAIN,” reads the artist pledge to discard his/her work. Check out exactly what nobody wants to see at PS1.

Take the night to dress up and go out to Bargemusic for their presentation of work by Brahms and Schubert. Situated on the East River, you get an incredible view of downtown Manhattan’s skyline while swaying to both the river and the masters of chamber music. It’s the perfect place for a relaxing evening with a friend. Tickets are only $5 when you purchase them through High 5 Tickets to the Arts.

Hit the town—or more accurately, a converted Brooklyn warehouse—on a Friday or a Saturday! With everything from street bites to knick-knack vendors, Brooklyn Night Bazaar offers shows this weekend featuring Have Mercy and Wolf Alice. Always a good time, Brooklyn Night Bazaar is host to hipsturbia at its finest. Watch or participate as hipsters converge into Williamsburg for pool, ping-pong, throwback arcade games in between concert sets. *Attendees 17 and younger need adult supervision.

The Kitchen: famous for its experimental vibe among New York music-ites, it holds a reputation for openness to all music. Avant-garde and ultramodern, The Kitchen’s roots come from the No-Wave scene from the 1970’s. Unknown musicians (at the time), like Philip Glass, Elliot Sharpe, and Arthur Russell would come out of this project.

To this day, The Kitchen retains its air of an underground scene. Slightly off-limits, The Kitchen seems a little shady to those who don’t know of its reputation. The venue itself has an off-off-off-off Broadway feel to it. Lacking a traditional raised stage and backstage, The Kitchen creates a feeling of equality between the performer and the audience. The performer is no more well known than any single member of the audience, and they often sit in the front row looking on as audience members until it is their time to perform. [Read more…]